Itinerary
route: We pass
through the Ken river andwe continue
alongpenetrated in the PannaNational Park, after we make a
detour towards Amangangi for reaching Nachna. After visiting Nachna we
come-back via Gangi-Salaya- Nagod- Panna.

Time:
One day, going and coming
back

Description:
Situated near a tank and
facing a hill studded with Jain temples, Nachna offers to the visitors a
Gupta temple ( dating from 5th century A.D.), consecrated to
Parvati goddess, and the Chaturmukka Mahadeva Temple in Pratihara style,
IX century whose interior contains a magnificent linga with four faces
of Sada Shiva. In this way Krishna Deva describes the temples inTemples of North India
National Book Trust, New Delhi,
2005 ( prima edition 1969).

The Parvati Temple :“ The
second group of temples, characterised by the addition of a roofed
ambulatory round the sanctum and otherwise following the plan of the
preceding group, is represented by the Parvati Temple at Nachna (
District Panna in M. P), and a ruined temple at Baigram ( District
Dinajpur, Bangladesh).The wall and the roofof the once-covered passage of the NachnaTemple have now disappeared
leaving an opened promenade, where the ambulatory is lighted by
trellises. The NachnaTemple is also
notable for carrying a square, flat-roofed cell as an upper chamber placed
above the sanctum. The plain façade of the NachnaTemple
was originally relievedby a few
sculptured niches and a continuous relief imitating rock formations and
grottos, containing figures of birds and animals.”(pgg.8-9)

The Chaturmukha Mahadeva Temple "The
Chaturmukha Mahadeva Temple at Nachna, in District Panna,
famous for its diamond fields, carries over its sanctum a developed
northern shikhara, of pancha-ratha design. The Temple preserves
only a square tri-ratha, sanctum with a plain interior and a
richly decorated exterior. The interior, lighted by a doorway in
the east and trellis-windows on the remaining 3 sides, enshrines a
powerfully rendered chaturmukkaShiva -linga , noted
for the sublime expression of its 4 faces. Externally, the trellis-windows
on the cardinals offsets s are surmounted by a pair of niches, depicting
Vidhyadaras ( divines attendants) with their consorts, crowned by a
pediments of chaitya-dormers. Each corner buttress of the wall
show a niche carrying an image of the Regent of the cardinal point,
surmounted by an elaborate pediment. Of 5 storeys, the shikkara
is covered with a developed mesh of chaitya-dormers. All
its buttresses project beyond the shoulder of the spire, which is
surmounted by a heavy amalaka. While the windows and
doorways of the temple are carved with friezes depicting dwarfs,
scrolls, river-goddesses and the over-door design in the Gupta
tradition, its moulding and shikkara design, the treatment
of the Regents, and decorative architectural motifs like the pediment,
hearth-shaped flowers, garland-loops and square rafter ends
carved with convention lion heads are in the developed
Pratihara style of the 9th century." pg.23

Beyond the temples there
is a nice adivasivillage, now
uninhabitated because of the migration, of whom are very beautiful
the buildings around the wide stretch.

Il tempio gupta dedicato a Parvati :““ The
second group of temples, characterised by the addition of a roofed
ambulatory round the sanctum and otherwise following the plan of the
preceding group, is represented by the Parvati Temple at Nachna (
District Panna in M. P), and a ruined temple at Baigram ( District
Dinajpur, Bangladesh).The wall and the roofof the once-covered passage of the NachnaTemple have now disappeared
leaving an opened promenade, where the ambulatory is lighted by
trellises. The NachnaTemple is also
notable for carrying a square, flat-roofed cell as an upper chamber
placed above the sanctum. The plain façade of the NachnaTemple
was originally relievedby a few
sculptured niches and a continuous relief imitating rock formations and
grottos, containing figures of birds and animals.”..........................."

Il tempio Chaturmukha Mahadeva."The
Chaturmukha Mahadeva Temple at Nachna, in District Panna,
famous for its diamond fields, carries over its sanctum a developed
northern shikhara, of pancha-ratha design. The Temple preserves
only a square tri-ratha, sanctum with a plain interior and a
richly decorated exterior. The interior, lighted by a doorway in
the east and trellis-windows on the remaining 3 sides, enshrines a
powerfully rendered chaturmukkaShiva -linga , noted
for the sublime expression of its 4 faces. Externally, the
trellis-windows on the cardinals offsets s are surmounted by a pair of
niches, depicting Vidhyadaras ( divines attendants) with their consorts,
crowned by a pediments of chaitya-dormers. Each corner buttress
of the wall show a niche carrying an image of the Regent of the cardinal
point, surmounted by an elaborate pediment. Of 5 storeys, the shikkara
is covered with a developed mesh of chaitya-dormers. All
its buttresses project beyond the shoulder of the spire, which is
surmounted by a heavy amalaka. While the windows and
doorways of the temple are carved with friezes depicting dwarfs,
scrolls, river-goddesses and the over-door design in the Gupta
tradition, its moulding and shikkara design, the treatment
of the Regents, and decorative architectural motifs like the pediment,
hearth-shaped flowers, garland-loops and square rafter ends
carved with convention lion heads are in the developed
Pratihara style of the 9th century." pg.23................................."